by Carly Prawdzik, Guest Writer, All Habs Hockey Magazine

As many of you readers may know, my primary focus in sports writing revolves around sport psychology. In many ways, this has led me to tackle the hot topic of Alex Galchenyuk and his less-than-impressive season followed by an even less stellar post-season.

What happened to Chucky and all that he was supposed to bring to the Habs lineup as the new number one center? Will his future in the NHL remain with the Canadiens organization?

The problem with sport psychology theory here, however, is that it is just that. Mt thoughts are only speculation. Few know Galchenyuk personally, so we cannot say definitively what has happened.

It is also important to note that I am not a licensed psychologist. I have, however, studied sport psychology enough to have some insight as to what may be happening with the beloved number 27.

I have seen many theories floating around the internet, and I believe many of them have  valuable foundation. For example, confidence and communication could have very easily become a problem for Galchenyuk this past season.

Galchenyuk had a strong start to the regular season, just as the rest of the Habs lineup did. For the first few weeks of the season, many of us were breathing a sigh of relief. Montreal finally had a number one center.

As the season progressed, number 27 was faced with injury. Anyone who has played a sport knows that injuries come with the territory. Further, it should be evident that a potentially serious injury can affect the confidence of an athlete.

With a knee injury like the one Galchenyuk experienced, it can sometimes alter your whole life, not just your athletic career. Most athletes wouldn’t admit injuries can cause long term anxiety, but it can certainly be lingering in the subconscious. Perhaps Galchenyuk isn’t presently focusing on the post-career effect of injuries, but you can bet that he has been  concerned about missing additional games.

After all, is there anything more important to most athletes than being in the game? For an athlete at the caliber of Galchenyuk, he may not be aware of the minute mental changes in his game resulting from injury. However, you can wager that Galchenyuk is aware of the fact that his stats aren’t where he would like them to be. As a result of these two factors, you can surmise that there are confidence issues.

Then comes the issue of communication, always a hot topic surrounding the Montreal Canadiens. Many have speculated that trades in the past have been directly or indirectly tied to a lack of communication in the locker room.

This year, we observed Michel Therrien exit the Habs organization during the Canadiens off-week in February, further emphasizing how communication had become a large factor in the success (or lack thereof) for the bleu, blanc, rouge. We watched Claude Julien hired as Therrien’s replacement following the short break.

When Julien took over, we heard him confirm that, “[his] job is to make [Galchenyuk] better”. He also said that since his arrival, the players were very receptive his message.

In my opinion, one of the most important things that fans can do is to be patient. Claude Julien only had half of a season to repair lost confidence and implement his systems. It’s fair to assume that the Julien-effect will be more impactful over the course of a full season and training camp.

Some have wondered whether Galchenyuk lost his way a little last year. This takes me to my next question: will we even get to see Alex Galchenyuk play another game for Montreal? 

The way I see it, there are two options that Marc Bergevin has this upcoming season with the Canadiens young potential star. Firstly, Bergevin could package Galchenyuk in a trade for a seasoned number one center. In my mind, at minimum, this trade package would have to include Nathan Beaulieu along with Galchenyuk.

Yes, this would be a lot to give up, but if the return is there, it could be worth considering. With Price’s contract unknown past next season, the Canadiens opportunity for a chance at a Stanley Cup win is now.

Obviously, this year, trades are a little more complicated with the Expansion Draft on the calendar. It’s fair to say that key re-signings have not taken place yet due to expansion. That said, a trade of this type could only be made under certain conditions.

First and foremost, this trade can only happen if Alexander Radulov is re-signed. The second factor in making this trade would be re-signing Andrei Markov.

Beaulieu has certainly seen his fair share of struggles, but the Canadiens cannot give up both Markov and Beaulieu, and lose another defencemen in the expansion draft. Keep in mind, both Jordie Benn and Brandon Davidson are both considered to be at risk in the expansion draft unless protected.

The second option Marc Bergevin has when it comes to Galchenyuk is perhaps the most obvious: give Claude Julien one full year to see what he can get out of the young player. 

With either choice, Bergevin certainly takes a risk. If Bergevin doesn’t trade Galchenyuk, he will have to find another way of filling the huge hole in the middle of the Canadiens lineup. It’s clear that Bergevin does not want to give up the future of the organization by parting with a blue chip prospect.

It is entirely possible that if Galchenyuk is traded, he is likely to have one of the best seasons of his career. A change of team and a break from the relentless Montreal media can only do a young player good. In not trading Galchenyuk, Bergevin faces the possibility of an asset declining in value.

For me, I think it is important that fans and the media allow the new coach and respected general manager run the show. In my opinion, Bergevin and Julien have a true feel for what is best for the team.

Let me leave you with a quote from Ken Dryden who knows something about playing in the Montreal hockey market.

“That is an important moment for a defensive player, particularly a forward – to know that his play will be judged against a standard suited to his natural game; to know that a general manager will ignore statistics, or emphasize different ones, and reward him for what he does for the team, not for what he doesn’t do. If he scores only rarely, as he always has, it is important to know that the press and the fans won’t wonder out loud why he is playing. To feel the pressure taken off, to feel accepted and appreciated for what he does, no longer feeling himself at a halfway house, safe for now, but getting older, and knowing that he must soon be something else. That is decisive.” – Ken Dryden, The Game

Dryden is speaking about Bob Gainey, a player who played completely different game from Alex Galchenyuk. However, this quote does highlight how sport psychology can have  an impact on an NHL player from a player’s point of view.

Here’s one final thought. If Bergevin and Julien are worried about shaping Galchenyuk into a more defensive player than taking him for the offensive player that he is, I think it is time to trade him while his value is considered quite high.

Don’t get me wrong here, though. I don’t think that expecting better defensive play is a bad thing. I believe there needs to be a willingness to accept that Galchenyuk is stronger offensively than he is defensively, and a willingness to look beyond simple statistics if there is any hope for him to reach his true potential.